Scientific Method
by I Slay Darkness With Belief
Summary: I was so unbelievably confused... And believe me- if you were a tech-nerd who has been in love with a girl for as long as you can remember, and another girl who loves torturing you comes along and kisses you, you'd definitely do the same thing... I think.


**Hola people of iCarly-land! It's Bubbles here! I came to give you yet _another_ iOMG story. NO DON'T LEAVE NOW! You didn't even read it yet! This is a little different, it's a tad long, but it's a little rushed in my own opinion... So tell me what you think! Pretty please with a Seddie on top!**

**One-shot!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own this. I mean, I own _this_ but not iCarly. Whispering Memories owns what she beta'd, and the always-wonderful Dan Schnieder owns iCarly c:**

_Holy flying buckets of chiz. That didn't just happen. Nope._

Love.

Had it really been that obvious?

Had I really been that oblivious?

Had she been in love all along?

With _me_?

She pulled back slowly with the same amount of shock on her face as I did. As soon as she retreated, the cold and icy wind consumed me once again. I shuddered, wishing in a weird way that she would return to our... position.

So do _I _love _her_? No, I can't. I- I love Carly. Always have, always will...

Right?

The leaves on the ground rustled past us with help from the wind. It calmed me long enough to think for a moment about what _exactly_ just occured on my face.

"Sorry." She spoke quickly, quietly. She'd been acting this way all day. She's been acting different all along. Ever since she complimented Brad on his work on the web-show on Thursday. Before that, she was Sam. Before that, she was the in-considerate, torturous, sassy, liar of a girl I had met in sixth grade. But now. Now, she had turned... different.

I should have known it wasn't Brad. She barely knew Brad. She hadn't treated Brad any different until he'd helped us on the web-show. But maybe that had been a segway. To me?

Me?

Freddie?

I couldn't even comprehend how I was feeling. None of it was from a familar place. Every emotion was foreign. I'd never been kissed the way she had kissed me. When we kissed first, it was for friendship. When Melanie kissed me, it wasn't anything special. Didn't feel the same. When Carly kissed me, she was blinded, and I was kissing lips without a feel to them: she didn't love me.

But now. Now, Sam hadn't kissed me because we wanted to get it over-with. Now, Sam hadn't kissed me because I asked her out because she wanted to prove to me that she wasn't Sam. Now, Sam hadn't kissed me because I saved her life.

No, now, Sam kissed me because she _truly_ believes that she loves me.

Wait...

Sam loves me.

Samantha Grace Puckett loves me, Fredward Greggory Benson.

"It's cool." I replied. I didn't even realize that the words came out of my mouth. It came out strangled and deformed, mis-pronounced and confusing.

We just stood there for a moment. We could feel the thick coat of greasy awkwardness in the humid air. It was soaking into my skin. Even I was convinced that Sam was in full resentment as to what she'd done. She'd kissed me, and the awkwardness in the air made her resent it.

I opened my mouth, positive I was ready to speak... kind of. But I was willing to take the chance. I didn't know what I'd say. Maybe that I was confused or something. Maybe that I _did _like her. Or that I _was_ still in love with Carly.

But before I had a chance to decide, Sam's eyes popped out of her head. If her face was red before, it paled in comparison (litterally) to what she looked like now. Her eyebrows furrowed together, collecting extra space in between them. She was still beautiful. And then her hands began to shoo something away.

I turned around to face the window: the area that she just motioned towards. A rush of brown hair tumbled down. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who that was, what they were doing there and what they saw. I shook my head, rolling my eyes at the stupidity of myself.

"Yeah, I have to go and kill a Shay. I'll be right back." Sam walked away, not even attempting to look at me anyore. I could tell by her voice that she was upset, though. She turned back around, revealing her pained but Sam-ish-ly strong expression. "Well, not kill, because... well... nevermind. Bye, Benson. Hate you." And she strutted off.

Just like that, she was gone.

I would have called out for her to stay, but I was stuck. My clothes were stuck in their position, and my feet were glued to the ground. I was stuck, and frustrated and confused as hell.

There was still the essence of her left on my lips. She was still _there_. Not physically, but I could just feel her right there with me. The feel of her hands, tightly gripping my plaid shirt- like I would disappear if she let go. The feel of her hair, breezing against my shoulder like silk ribbons. The feel of her lips, right there against mine with a strange sense of care upon them- like she hadn't planned on kissing me but the frustration of me begging her to make a move was just _killing_ her on the inside.

I was tense- and I had no idea why. There wasn't any force in the world that could calm me down. The pure shock was too startling for me _not_ to react, but my guard was up above my head. My whole body was _pulled_ into that kiss of hers. She held me with the same amount of force that she would usually hit me with.

But gentle. Careful.

I was pushed onto the cold ground and out of my trance. I looked up from where I had landed to see none other than Carlotta Shay- the girl who had witnessed everything. The disappointment in my own eyes was what had shocked me. I wished that the old Sam had snapped out of her love-trance to come and push me to the ground again.

Like old times.

But it wasn't old times. I was looking at the un-characteristically agressive Carly after being kissed by Sam. The girl who I thought hated me. Everything was backwards and I'm frigging _sick of it._

"Freddie! What just _happened_? I mean, I know what just _happened_, but did I just see... what I think I saw? I mean... did Sam just... kiss you? Oh dear God, flashback time." Carly fazed out for a moment, probably recalling when she found out that Sam and I had kissed the _first _time. When she knocked me down and forced it out of me.

"Wait... what?" My brain could hear the words she said, but was still un-responsive as to what was _actually_ being said here.

Carly blinked back into the real world of here and now, shaking her head, "Wait... what did you just say?"

"Well what did _you_ just say?" I asked dusting myself off to stand up.

"Did Sam just kiss you?" Carly asked, slouching in her position.

I thought for a moment, and I remembered that she _did._ She _had_ kissed me. "Yes..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say about the fact.

"Oh my God." Carly asked with eyes that weren't even in her head anymore.

I regret what happened next. I was so _unbelievably_ confused I didn't even now what to think. And believe me- if you were a tech-nerd who has been in love with a girl for as long as you can remember, and another girl who loves torturing you comes along and kisses you- you would _definitely_ do the same thing.

I think.

Do I like Sam? Do I still love Carly? I mean, Sam's kiss felt nice. Carly's kiss... I can't remember...

If I kissed Carly, sparks would fly all over this freaking courtyard and we would be in love. And (by default) I couldn't love Sam... Right?

I grabbed Carly's shoulders, pulling her in tight. I crushed my lips against hers, closing my eyes. I felt her lean into it for a moment before pushing me away.

"Freddie, what the hell is your problem? Sam- my _best friend_- is on _love_ with _you_! Do you really think that I would do this to her? Freddie, no. I can't do that to her. There's your answer Freddie. It's okay if you don't like Sam that way. But I refuse to kiss you after she _just_ did the same thing. I freaking _refuse_. Sam means too much to me." Carly protested before slapping me.

"Carly, don't you get it? That was a test!" I shouted, seeing the face of a little blonde girl crying from the corner of my eye, but I blew it off.

"What?" Carly screamed, and if we weren't outside, she would have gathered a crowd.

"Don't you get it? I kissed you to compare!" Her eyes widened until I could explain myself. "Okay, Sam kissed me. I hate to say it but it felt... freaking wonderful. Okay? It was one of the best things I've experienced. Pretty-much ever. Carly, I was so confused. _So_ confused. I couldn't even think anymore. Then, I thought of the scientific method-"

"So I was part of a _test_? I'm a material object that you tested your _hypothesis_ on? You kissed me to see if I would betray my friend? _Your_ friend-"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, Carly! You don't get it! I wanted to see if I felt the same sense of... wonder when I kissed you. A sense of wonder that you feel when you're in _love_..."

Carly calmed down for a moment. She took a big, shaky, over-stressed breath before speaking again. "So... you're in love with me, still...?"

I pondered the thought for a moment, drawing it out to think for as long as possible. "I... I really don't think so..."

Carly took a gigantic sigh of relief. As did I. "So what are you going to do now?" Carly asked, squinting at me.

"Where's Sam?" I asked quickly, barely understanding her question but blowing it off all the same.

"She just ran into the school, told me to "Shut my mouth, Shay" and ran off. That was it..." I jogged past Carly, grabbing Sam's left-behind water bottle and sprinting through the door.

I searched the halls, feeling sets of eyes on me as I passed by. I didn't care, but rushed to the place I _knew _Sam would be. Bathrooms were too soap-oprah-ey for her. She wouldn't go back to Gibby and Spencer. She would only be at one place- where the food's at.

I ran. And ran. And ran. All around the school, I searched. She wasn't by the doughnuts. Or the pizza. Or the ham. Which was surprising, because Principal Franklin bought and made that ham specifically for this occasion- for Sam. It was _her_ ham, and she wasn't even there to enjoy it.

I had time to think aabout what I would say. Running around the dark corridors and bright experimental rooms. Running in and out of experiments, knocking over posters about algae. So what exactly what would I do when I found her?

_Do I like- maybe even love- Sam...? _

I'm sure that if I had more time to answer myself I would have. But thinking too much makes me lose concentration on where I was going. The door to Mr. Henning's room was suddenly in front of me, being slammed by someone.

Someone with black converse was in there. Someone with blonde hair and black converse just stormed in there. Someone with a red and white- striped T-shirt, beautifully curly blonde hair and black converse just ran into that room. And I had no doubt in my mind that it was Sam.

_I need to get in there._

I can't doubt Sam's powers of... Sam-ness. Nobody can. There was no doubt in my mind that if she was upset (and not to flatter myself, but considering she kissed me, and my incredible idiot of a pea-brain didn't kiss back, she was probably crying, too.), she would have locked that door tight.

I tried anyway, twisting the knob to no avail. "Sam, open up, it's Freddie!"

There was a long beat before I heard a sigh. "Oh! It's Freddie! That makes _everything_ better! Actually, nub-face, I locked that door for a reason. Now get out from there or get out of my life! You can take your pick." Her words were laced with a fiery bitterness towards me. Her voice came out more upset than I had anticipated. And I had to figure out why.

"Sam, come on, I need to talk to you! Open up the door!" I banged more. If I knew one thing about Sam, it was that she hated loud, repetitive noises. I knocked and knocked and knocked and knocked until I heard a shout from within.

"Go away, Benson! You irritate me! Go and make out with Carly or whatever you like to do in your spare time!" Sam's voice cracked near the end of her sentence, and I was wide-eyed.

_"Carly, don't you get it? That was a test!" I shouted, seeing the face of a little blonde girl crying from the corner of my eye, but I blew it off._

"Oh shit..." I mumbled to myself, remembering what happened after I kissed Carly. "Sam, open up! I have to talk to you, it's a big mis-understanding! You don't get it!" I pounded on he wood some more, not caring wither or not I got splinters. "Sam, open up! Now!" It took most of the force I had in me, but the deep, strict voice was the only thing she would listen to.

I was about to knock again, but the door under my knuckles was taken away, and replaced by Sam's glaring and hurt facial expression. "Sam..."

The blonde tensed up, setting her leg back and kicking me in the shin with all her might.

And that was a lot of might.

The blinding pain tried to overcome me, but I looked past it. I was on the ground, and there was a big chance that my leg was broken, but I couldn't care less. "Sam."

"Save it, dipthong. Just leave me alone, okay? Go away to whatever planet you came from. You know, it was probably from I-love-Carly-land. Every guy on the _planet_ lives there. Brad too! Go _away_!" She stepped over me to leave. Who knows where, but who cares? I snached her leg, pulling her down next to me.

"Sam listen. I know you're furious or whatever with me. I hope you know I can't _stand_ to see you upset. I can't stand at all, okay? I don't like Carly- letalone love her- anymore." It was refreshing to say it out loud. I was sure now that I didn't love Carly anymore.

"Don't lie to me you dork. I saw you guys kiss. I can't believe either of you would stab me in the back like that." Sam spoke quietly.

"Sam, that was all me, not Carly. I was just..."

"What? Kissing my best friend? Stabbing me in the back? I just kissed my heart out, and you run to Carly, and you go and kiss her."

"Sam, you don't _get it_. I wasn't kissing Carly because I love her-"

"Oh, I see. The wizards of the world took over, and forced you two to kiss. I get it now."

"No Sam. Shut up." Sam was taken back by my hostility. "I didn't kiss her because I love her. I kissed her because I was confused. I kissed her, because when I kissed you, I was so _unbelievably_ happy, and... I wanted to know if I loved you..."

Sam calmed down for a moment, taking a deep breath. "So... you kissed Carly... to see if you loved me...? What the hell Benson, that makes to sense!"

I sighed. "Sam. It's complicated. Im complicated, you're complicated. I kissed Carly to see if I was in love with her- to see if kissing her even _compared _to what it was like kissing you."

"... Was it...?" Sam asked wearily.

I took a really deep breath. I hadn't planned what I was going to say, but now I knew exactly how it would go down. "Sam, listen. In sixth grade, I met you. I met you and you flicked me because you thought I was a nerd. In seventh grade you broke my toe by stomping on it because you thought I was a dork. In _eighth_ grade, you pinned me down and pinched my face because you thought it would be fun. Ninth grade you kissed me to get it over-with. Tenth grade you talked me out of dating Carly. And now, in tenth grade, you kissed me because you're... you're in love with me. Right?"

Sam didn't hide her confusion. "Uh... I guess... yeah..."

"We are two of the most complicated people on the _planet_. You are Sam, the most viscious, spunky, strong, crazy, interesting girl I've _ever _met. Ever. I am Freddie, the tech-geeky-est, _handsomest, awesomest_, person that likes to get pummled by Sam. Sam complies daily. But, somehow... Sam and Freddie are really good for eachother. Not only because we have our completely random friendship moments, but because when I kiss you, I just... I don't know... I..." I trailed off, looking at her lips.

Without hesitation, I grabbed her cheeks with both of my hands, and pressed my lips into hers. She responded quickly and leaned into me. The kiss had the friendship and gentleness of our first kiss, and the love and pent-up frustration of our last one. I sat back again to my original spot.

"So, Fredward..." Sam smirked, leaning back on her hands. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Samantha?" I asked with the same amount of sarcasm.

"You know what I love?"

"Ham? Bacon? Ham-flavored everything? Bacon-flavored everything?"

"Nope. Well, yes. But nope. I love Fr... ied Chicken." I laughed.

"Well, I'm sure Fried Chicken loves you too." I laughed some more, adding another near-silent comment after. "I love you too."

Sam was already standing up from the ground, "What was that Benson?"

I smirked, standing up on the leg that _didn't_ hurt and looked at Sam in the eyes. I pulled her into another sweet kiss, not caring who was watching.

I pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I love you too."


End file.
